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Job 39

Job 39 is part of God's response to Job, where He continues to challenge Job's understanding of the natural world and the creatures within it. Through rhetorical questions, God highlights His power, wisdom, and sovereignty in creating and sustaining the animal kingdom. This chapter focuses on wild animals and their characteristics, showing that God's ways are beyond human comprehension.

Job 39:1-5 (NKJV)
1 “Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young?
Or can you mark when the deer gives birth?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the time when they bear young?
3 They bow down,
They bring forth their young,
They deliver their offspring.
4 Their young ones are healthy,
They grow strong with grain;
They depart and do not return to them.
5 Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds of the onager?

God points out Job's lack of control over the birth and development of wild animals like mountain goats and deer. These animals reproduce and care for their young without human involvement, following the natural processes established by God. The wild donkey, symbolizing freedom, lives independently without human interference. God's questions reveal that He alone governs the cycles of life and nature.

Job 39:6 (NKJV)
6 Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the barren land his dwelling?

The wild donkey, or onager, lives in remote and desolate areas, such as the wilderness. This creature thrives in places where humans rarely venture, a habitat that God has specifically designed for it. God’s provision for even the wild animals in barren lands emphasizes His care for all creation.

Job 39:7-8 (NKJV)
7 He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after every green thing.

The wild donkey is free from human control, indifferent to the noise and activity of cities and people. It roams the mountains and wilderness, seeking its own food. This demonstrates the freedom and independence of wild creatures under God’s care, in contrast to the domesticated animals that serve humans.

Job 39:9-12 (NKJV)
9 “Will the wild ox be willing to serve you?
Will he bed by your manger?
10 Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?
Or will he plow the valleys behind you?
11 Will you trust him because his strength is great?
Or will you leave your labor to him?
12 Will you trust him to bring home your grain,
And gather it to your threshing floor?

God asks Job if he can tame the wild ox, a powerful and untamed animal. Unlike domesticated oxen, the wild ox cannot be harnessed to work the fields or trusted to gather crops. Its strength and untamed nature serve as another example of God’s creation beyond human control, emphasizing that God alone controls and governs the wild animals.

Job 39:13-18 (NKJV)
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And warms them in the dust;
15 She forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may break them.
16 She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in vain, without concern,
17 Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not endow her with understanding.
18 When she lifts herself on high,
She scorns the horse and its rider.

The ostrich is known for its strange and sometimes careless behavior, such as leaving its eggs exposed on the ground. Despite this, the ostrich can outrun horses, showing a mix of folly and great ability. God illustrates how He creates animals with different traits and abilities, some seeming foolish to human eyes, yet still fitting into His grand design.

Job 39:19-25 (NKJV)
19 “Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with thunder?
20 Can you frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He gallops into the clash of arms.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.
24 He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
25 At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and shouting.

The warhorse, a symbol of strength, courage, and fearlessness, is described in vivid detail. God asks if Job has given the horse these traits, showing that it is God who equips creatures with their remarkable abilities. The horse charges fearlessly into battle, undeterred by danger, embodying the power and majesty that come from God’s creation.

Job 39:26-30 (NKJV)
26 “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,
And spread its wings toward the south?
27 Does the eagle mount up at your command,
And make its nest on high?
28 On the rock it dwells and resides,
On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.
29 From there it spies out the prey;
Its eyes observe from afar.
30 Its young ones suck up blood;
And where the slain are, there it is.”

God finishes this part of His speech by highlighting birds of prey like the hawk and the eagle. These creatures navigate the skies, build their nests in high places, and hunt with precision. Their abilities, such as flight and sharp vision, come from God’s wisdom, not human understanding. God’s control over even the birds emphasizes the majesty and power of His creation, further illustrating how little Job (and humanity) comprehends the complexity and beauty of the natural world.

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